Grindr revolutionized hookup culture and brought cruising into the digital age.
If you’re on Grindr, you probably know the drill. Each user can implement up to 10 tags on their profile. These help people find hookups or sexual partners that have similar sexual interests or hobbies. Users can search specific tags to find people in their area who match what they’re looking for.
What Grindr tags help do for the LGBTQIA+ community is normalizing kinks and other aspects of queer culture that were under wraps for so long.
Not all tags are related to kinks. Others describe things like gender identity and are equally important. With so many options, Grindr tags can sometimes be confusing. Let’s break down 10 Grindr tags you may not be familiar with. Who knows, maybe you will want these on your profile after all.
Bator
Short for “masturbator,” this tag is used to describe someone who can get off during solo or partnered masturbation. It also implies that they might like edging, gooning, or other forms of intercourse that takes a prolonged amount of time.
Cruising
You’ve probably heard this one before. But cruising is such an iconic, important part of gay culture, it’s worth mentioning.
For so long, being gay was against the law. So, queer folks found “cruising” spots where they could go to find a random hookup, usually somewhere remote like the woods.
Some people still like to cruise and hookup in public places, even though finding hookups is easier today than it ever has been.
Cut
It sounds scarier and kinkier than it actually is. Cut is just a shortened way of saying that someone is circumcised.
Furries
For some people, this is a kink. For others, it’s more of a hobby and a way to connect with others socially. You might need to ask someone who has “Furries” as one of their tags which they are.
But, for those who have a furries kink, it’s a sexual interest in anthromorphic characters or animals with human-like features. It could also include attraction to stuffed animals.
Hosting
If someone says they’re a host, it means they prefer their place over yours. Maybe they are a clean freak, maybe they want to show off their apartment or home.
Either way, they expect you to come to them.
MTF/FTM
MTF is an acronym that stands for “Male to Female.” FTM stands for “Female to Male.” This means that someone was assigned a different gender at birth and is transitioning.
Unfortunately, gay culture is not always accepting of trans folks. If you do not want to explore sexually with someone who is trans, it’s important to be respectful about their gender identity and to validate the person even if you are not attracted to them.
A simple, “You seem like a great person. I don’t think that our attractions align, but I wish you the best” will suffice.
Do NOT ask a trans person if they have had surgeries. Don’t fetishize them. Don’t ask what their name used to be. Educate yourself on online etiquette, specifically when it comes to not contributing to harmful messages towards trans folks.
Poz
Poz means that someone is HIV positive.
When someone discloses their HIV status, it’s important not to shame them or blame them for living with HIV. There are 38.4 million people globally who are living with HIV, so the odds of you meeting someone who has a positive status is high.
Don’t forget: Undetectable=Untransmittable. If someone is taking medication for HIV that suppresses the viral load of HIV to the point where it is undetectable, they cannot transmit HIV.
Don’t disregard someone just because of their HIV status. You could be missing out on an amazing experience or relationship.
Tentacles
This tag describes a sexual interest in tentacles and the creatures that possess them. This kink stems from Japanese manga and anime known as hentai and is consistently one of the most searched types of porn on PornHub.
Vanilla
People who like vanilla sex aren’t particularly kinky and prefer something a little more mainstream and lowkey.
WS
Lastly, “watersports.” This means that someone has a urine fetish, which may include golden showers or other forms of urinating on or around their sexual partners.
Learn More
Sexual health is important, and it starts with PrEP. Sign up at QCarePlus.com, and we will send you a free HIV and STI test kit or schedule an appointment for you at a local lab to help you get started on PrEP.
